Marijuana and Cannabis Legislation

Supporters of a measure that would legalize limited amounts of cannabis for adults 21 and up in Nevada have collected nearly twice the required amounts of signatures needed to get their measure on the ballot in 2016.

They'll submit the signatures later today, joined by Democratic state Sen. Richard Segerblom, who has tried several times to get legalization measures passed by the state legislature.

Sorry, Pennsylvanians in need of pain relief, suffering from seizures, wasting away from chronic nausea and dying of cancer or AIDS, you're going to wait until next year at least for your state to allow you to access medical cannabis.

The State House of Representatives yesterday made it clear they aren't going to vote on a medical marijuana proposal that has already been approved by the state Senate. House leaders say they have too many issues with the bill and need to hold hearings to iron things out - things they can't accomplish by the end of today, when the legislature adjourns.

Support for Florida's medical marijuana amendment has been riding high in polls for so long that it almost seemed like its passage would be a foregone conclusion. But a funny thing seems to have happened on the way to the ballot box.

Two new polls show that the amendment is now well below the 60 percent approval it needs to meet in order to be adopted into the state constitution.

Barbara Hoppe, council member from Columbia's Sixth Ward, introduced legislation earlier this year that would allow people to grow up to six plants at home. Those without a medical recommendation from a doctor would face a $250 fine and the confiscation of their plants if busted. Medical patients wouldn't face any penalties. That plan saw a lot of scrutiny, so Hoppe has rewritten her bill.

Her new plan, introduced this week and set for a hearing at the October 20 council meeting, allows for only two plants to be grown in a locked area and would allow medical patients to designate growing to a caregiver.

The Pennsylvania Senate yesterday approved a measure that would legalize the medical use of some forms of cannabis, though chances of the bill being approved by the state House in the final days of the session aren't very high.

Even then, the bill would have to overcome the stone wall that is the governor's office.

Washington D.C. effectively decriminalized possession of up to one ounce of marijuana July 17, but that hardly means the end to marijuana-related arrests.

According to DCist, there were 26 arrests involving cannabis during the first two weeks of decriminalization-- July 17 to July 31-- just one less than the amount of citations (27) issued for possession. Data from D.C. Police says the 26 arrests were for public consumption, distribution, possession with the intent to distribute and possession of more than one ounce.

The Iowa legislature this past session approved a bill legalizing high-CBD oil for children with chronic siezure conditions. The law was approved but the roll-out hasn't happened yet, and families are still waiting on the green light to buy the oil out-of-state and bring it home.

It's a program that some are saying is already a failure due to being so limited, and several groups say they want the program expanded to include the use of all medical cannabis - including the bill's sponsor.